1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to image processing and, more particularly, to a technology for performing transmission and control of images through a communication path.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there haven been defined and widespread guidelines for sharing digital contents such as still images, moving images, and audios among devices of different manufacturers in Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA®). In the DLNA guidelines, a Digital Media Server (DMS) that provides digital contents and a Digital Media Player (DMP) that displays the digital contents are defined.
The digital contents are transferred between the DMS and the DMP. The DMP can display the digital contents provided from the DMS. In this case, when there is a great volume of digital data on the DMS side, communication loads have become great because data is transferred between the DMS and the DMP in proportion to the amount of the digital data.
There is known a technique for reducing resources to be used when a list of digital data is released through a network. As an example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-38452 discusses a technique that classifies digital contents while maintaining a hierarchical structure, and can release a list so as to set the number of digital contents equal to or less than a predetermined number according to the classification.
However, the technique discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-38452 gives no consideration to a case where contents are newly changed after the list of the classified content data has been released to an external display apparatus.